1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of musical instruments and, more particularly, to a drum dampening modification device which is removably mounted above or in conjunction with a drumhead.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices for use in dampening sounds produced by percussion instruments, particularly musical drums, are well known in the art. Examples include, by way of example only, plastic or rubber rings (e.g. a Mylar® disc) placed upon or beneath a drumhead and/or using a pillow or some type of cloth material placed inside the shell of a bass drum. The objective in all these cases is threefold. The first is to reduce the sound of the drum or dampen high frequencies, i.e., make it less noisy and obtrusive by employing some type of sound absorbing material. The second is to reduce drum overtones. And the third is to preserve the authentic or “full” drum sound while still altering the drums overtones.
One example of a device in the prior art that achieves all three objections, though by different means, is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,323, which teaches the use of a device that acts as a support for some type of sound altering or muffling material, e.g. foam or some other suitable type of sound absorbing material, placed between the lower-positioned support device and the batter head in contact with the latter. When the drumhead is struck by a hard object, like a drumstick, the sound absorbing material acts to reduce the overall sound of the drum while at the same time eliminating much, if not most, of the overtones. However, the serious drawback with this device requires the removal of the drum counterhoop, which acts to hold the support device, the sound absorbing material and the drumhead in place, then the drumhead to enable the removal of the sound absorbing material underneath in order to replace it. To substitute one sound absorbing material with another to achieve different sound objectives always requires the removal of the drumhead. This is unduly burdensome and extremely time consuming.
Thus, until now, nothing in the prior art provides for an uncomplicated device or method for easily and quickly replacing or substituting sound absorbing or dampening materials, which modify the dampening of sounds and/or to control overtones of a musical drum, without the need to first remove the drumhead.